Flexible shaft for racing performance?

[digger71]

Clearly goes against all we "know", but interesting concept.  Though I do like the feel of my KeNalu X-Tuff S


http://www.ridingbumps.com/2015/04/15/flexible-paddle-shafts-for-the-serious-paddler-aztek-paddles/

[Fog City Rider]

SUP Examiner didn't dig 'em.  But I'd love to try.  I prefer flex to a super stiff shaft any day.

http://supexaminer.com/2015/02/the-aztek-race-paddle/

[yugi]

[Hardtail] bike steel frames were initially a inherently resilient. TIG aluminum frames came and were very stiff, which the marketing guys sold as a plus, so frames went stiff for a while. Keith Bontrager, the physics guy in the bike business, wrote extensively on the advantage of frame flex to the same effect as the one mentioned. It didn’t take long for bike frames to get some spring back in them.

I like flex and believe the rebound is helpful.

[PonoBill]

All shafts flex, the question is where and how much. I would say the article is correct in pretty much everything it says, mainly because it's straight from the Ke Nalu playbook. Ke Nalu paddles originally had 60, 90 and 100Flex shafts. We dropped the 60 because it was imprecise and added the xTuf and XTuf(s) which are unidirectional carbon with a different "lockup" curve. The shafts are tapered to focus the flex in the section between the lower and upper hand.

I'm not pitching Ke Nalu, I'm just saying this is old news. Every major paddle manufacturer has different flex and flex patterns available. Quikblade pioneered the notion with their numbered flex shafts. We just took their lead and offered a wider range of flex.

Marketing Flex at this point is like marketing belly buttons--everyone's already got one. Maybe they could market their easily changed component approach...  ...oh, wait.

[Fog City Rider]

Another Aztek review, this one much more favorable. 

http://www.ridingbumps.com/2015/05/14/a-full-review-of-the-aztek-sup-paddle/

I tried the race paddle at a demo last week, albeit very briefly.  Blade & shaft felt nice IMO but I did not love the palm grip.  It may have been a size too big for me though.